Frank Butcher
Francis Aloysius "Frank" Butcher was a character in EastEnders from Episode 268 (8th September 1987) to Episode 960 (11th April 1994) and intermittently from 1995 to Episode 3051 (9th December 2005). He was a true Cockney and bought many comic phrases to the Square such as "Whaddya think I am some sort of pilchard". Frank was the father of Ricky Butcher, Diane Butcher and Janine Butcher. He married Pat Wicks in June 1989. Frank was played by comedian Mike Reid, himself an East Ender. Frank had the charm but also was a bad boy, dabbling in dodgy deals, organising a fire to claim on insurance and cheating on second wife Peggy. Backstory Frank was born Francis Aloysius Butcher on the 27th March 1940 in London to London Transport worker Chike Butcher and his wife Mo. Frank had an older sister Joan Butcher who later married a Mr Garwood. In 1958 Frank met Pat Harris while on holiday in Clacton. He was already dating his future wife June Simmonds and they married in 1959. Frank always held a candle for Pat, who went on to marry Walford market trader Pete Beale. Frank and June had 4 children, Claire in 1959, Ricky in 1973, Diane in 1974 and Janine in 1983. June Butcher fell ill with cancer and died in 1987. 1987-1994 Frank met former flame Pat Wicks at a darts match outing in September 1987. His wife June Butcher had died a few months before and his youngest daughter Janine Butcher went to live with his eldest daughter Clare Butcher. In 1988 Frank moved back to Walford and took over the license of The Queen Vic and his 2 teenage children Ricky and Diane Butcher joined him. Frank started seeing Pat Wicks again. Frank and Pat finally married in June 1989. He then went back to being a car salesman. In January 1990, a lonely Diane Butcher left home and this left Frank with worry. He eventually traced her and bought her home but later she went to live in France. Frank gave up the tenancy of the Vic and concentrated on his car sales business. Also Frank's mother Mo Butcher developed dementia. Her deterioration was rapid. In a lucid moment, she wrote Frank a letter asking him not to let her end up like her grandmother, who had gone senile, saying she would rather die than suffer the same fate. Frank was torn, but attempted to adhere to his mother's wish by almost smothering her with a pillow while she slept. However, he could not go through with it and instead sent Mo to live with his sister, Joan in Colchester. In 1992 Frank received a huge tax demand, swiftly followed by a large VAT bill. This forced him to sell his B&B and the adjoining house and move his family into a small flat. Pat established her own cab firm, PatCabs, which started making them some money. At Christmas 1992 Pat Butcher accidentally ran someone down while driving under the influence of alcohol and she was later sent to prison for 6 months. Frank struggled alone and the Butchers ended 1993 in financial ruin. In January 1994, Frank was still experiencing increasing money worries. He was £1000s in debt. He sold one of his flats at a knockdown price to Phil Mitchell. He had to have some of his cars possessed plus he sold Michelle Fowler a car which had been stolen and had been reported to the police, however Frank did not know the car was stolen. Frank refunded Michelle. With increasingly crippling debts in February 1994, Frank had an idea about torching the car lot so he could claim on the insurance. He had little persuasion in asking Phil to fire the lot and in early March Phil agreed to do the job. One dark night on the 8th March 1994 Phil torched the car lot but was unaware that a vagrant was asleep in one of the cars. He had forgotten to drain the petrol tanks. The cars blew up before the vagrant could get out in time. After the fire brigade arrived they found the vagrant badly burned in the car. He later died in hospital. Frank went to pieces and was on the verge of a breakdown. He began drinking heavily. He also confronted Phil for not looking properly. After interrogation from the police and the insurance man getting the full picture of his financial worries and worrying that the insurance would not come through, Frank decided to move on and in April 1994 he left Walford, not telling anyone. 1995-2000 After Frank's departure, Pat Butcher became increasingly worried and had many sleepless nights worrying about Frank and where he was, even fearing the worst that he was dead, which resulted in her ringing round morgues and identifying bodies that matched Frank's description but none of them were Frank. However, after a few months, by the summer of 1994 Pat realised that he was not coming back so she moved on with her life and met car salesman Roy Evans and he soon moved in with her. However on Christmas Day 1995 after over a year and a half away, Frank Butcher walked in. Him and Roy became rivals, fighting over Pat. Frank said he wanted his house and business back. Frank said how he had contemplated suicide. David Wicks contacts his lawyers and says Frank has no right to a claim on the car lot. But Ricky gives his share of the business to Frank who then threatens to sell Pat's house. Roy tries to scare Frank off but it doesn't work. In a moment of remorse, Frank threatens to confess his involvement in the arson attack to the police. Pat attempts to make him reconsider and this leads to them having sex. Pat regrets her actions but Frank takes great pleasure in telling Roy. Furious, Roy threatens to leave Pat and in order to stop him, she claims Frank is lying. She convinces Frank she doesn't love him and begs him to leave. Defeated, Frank leaves Walford in March 1996, moving to Manchester. He returned briefly in 1997 for Ricky's wedding to Bianca Jackson. In May 1998 Frank returns to Walford again to visit his family and becomes attracted to Peggy Mitchell. She soon asks him to move in with her at The Queen Vic and they soon become engaged, much to the dismay of Peggy's thuggish sons Phil and Grant Mitchell. The Mitchell brothers warn Frank that if he hurts her they will kill him. A few days later, Frank accidentally knocks down Grant's wife Tiffany Mitchell and she dies. Frank is let off by the police due to it being an accident. After a rumour that Frank was seeing Pat again, Frank said to Roy that he was with Peggy now and his relationship with Pat is platonic. Roy and Frank start to become friends. In April 1999, Frank Butcher finally married Peggy Mitchell. In October 1999, Grant left Walford to move to Portugal after sleeping with Phil's ex wife Kathy Beale whom Phil was hoping to get back with. Peggy said nothing against Grant yet had made Phil feel like scum for doing the same to Grant years before. Frank tried to sort the mess out, seeing as him and Peggy were planning to emigrate to Spain. Their ideas were abandoned. Out of spite, Phil sold his share of the Vic to Dan Sullivan for £5 and Frank and Peggy were not happy. When Frank found out that Dan had shopped them to the police for selling dodgy motors at the car lot, Phil managed to win the pub back off Dan in a game of poker and Dan's hsare went back to peggy as Phil still wanted to have no part in the pub. Frank started to become unhappy with running the Vic again and realised that he still had feelings for Pat. In August 2000, while on holiday in Spain, Frank and Pat were unable to control the feelings they still had for each other any longer and they slept together. He realised he wanted to be with Pat, not Peggy. They continued their affair and one night Frank even turned up naked on her back doorstep. Mo Harris saw Frank and Pat looking cosy together in the street and suspected they are having an affair. Peggy even confided in Pat that she was sure Frank is seeing someone as he was on edge all the time. One time he was on the phone to Pat in the Queen Vic back hallway and Peggy came in as he put the phone down. Frank said it was Janine but Peggy said Janine was in the bar. Frank fobbed her off and claimed his memory was going so he said it was actually Diane but it confirmed Peggy's fears he was cheating. Little did Peggy know that it was indeed her best friend Pat who Frank was seeing. Pat and Frank decided to move away together to Manchester but as they packed and went on Guy Fawkes Night 2000 Pat had second thoughts. Frank had written Peggy a note. Peggy later read the note. Frank and Pat returned to Albert Square but were too late. Peggy later revealed their affair to a packed Vic. She threw Frank out, while Roy threw Pat out. Roy later punched Frank. That night Frank left Walford alone. As he was driving away Pat, sobbing in the street with her suitcase, saw him and called out but he did not see her and drove off into the night. Frank was never seen in Albert Square itself again. Shortly after he left, Phil said Frank would never show his face round here again and he was right. He did offer to him mum to sort Frank out by phoning a mate to do a job on him. Phil warned Pat that if Frank ever did return to Albert Square he would hire the hitman. 2002-2005 In January 2002, Peggy Mitchell heard news that Frank had died in a car crash in Spain. She flew out there to attend his funeral. But to her horror as she went to ask someone sat in a car some directions he looked at her and it was Frank. Peggy ran off horrified but Frank went after her to explain that people were after him so the best thing was to fake his death. Peggy was horrified that Frank had pulled yet another scam. One of the women he had scammed, Krystle, caught up with him and conned Frank, stealing his money. Peggy took pity on Frank and gives him money but refuses to get back with him. Peggy returned to England. Frank stays in Spain. In December 2005, Frank returned to Walford to attend his daughter Janine Butcher's trial. However he did not return to Albert Square, instead booking a hotel near the courthouse. He met up with Pat at the court and they ended up sleeping together again. 2008 Frank suffered from ill health in late 2007 and was later diagnosed with throat cancer. He died while staying with his daughter in France on the 29th March 2008, 2 days after his 68th birthday. His funeral took place back in Walford and he was cremated. A plaque was erected on the railing of Albert Square gardens in memory of him. First appearance '''Episode 268 (8th September 1987) '''Last appearance Episode 3051 (9th December 2005) Character creation and development Memorable info Family Father 'Chike Butcher '''Mother 'Mo Butcher '''Aunts/Uncles Sidney, Herbert, Edie Siblings '''Joan Garwood '''Children Claire Butcher, Ricky Butcher, Diane Butcher, Janine Butcher, Danny Butcher. Grandchildren '''Kira Salter, Natasha Butcher, Liam Butcher, Tiffany Butcher, Scarlett Moon '''Other relatives See also Frank Butcher - list of appearances Category:EastEnders characters. Category:Past characters. Category:Characters first seen in 1987. Category:Characters last seen in 2005. Category:Butcher family. Category:EastEnders businessmen. Category:Queen Victoria landlords. Category:Car salesmen. Category:EastEnders bad boys. Category:EastEnders deaths. Category:1940 births. Category:1959 marriages. Category:1989 marriages. Category:1999 marriages. Category:2008 deaths. Category:Residents of The Queen Victoria. Category:Residents of 18 Albert Square. Category:Residents of 41 Albert Square.